Of Vice and Men

Artist: George Cattermole, 1800–1868, Scene of Three Witches from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, 1840

“The highest of all holidays in the Satanic religion is the date of one’s own birth.” What a blubbering old fool LaVey was, to stake such a generalized claim on a collective of self-described individualists. It’s no wonder Satanists have experienced trouble with being taken seriously. With my own birthday fast approaching, I thought I’d take the time to set the record straight.

So, what holiday do Satanist’s hold in the “highest regard?” In our sect, it’s any fucking holiday you please. Be it traditional, or transitional and evolving. It could be every damn day. Our philosophy is to celebrate the fact we’re alive with each new day, and to honor our oaths. It’s that simple. Birthdays have many different meanings to our diverse collective, and each perception is respected, as such matters of a personal nature should be. We decide for ourselves.

We celebrate the birthdays of friends, family, and our brethren with respect to their wishes. Yet, as our philosophy implies, we also attempt to celebrate those we cherish every day. It is quite certain all our days are numbered; we just don’t know how many we’ll receive all-in-all. Not until we get there, to The End. Say every hello as if it’s your first, and every goodbye as if it could be your last. Remorse is inescapable, but we attempt to negate it by acting with careful thought, compassion, and ethics in all things. Without evidence, we do not bank on a hereafter themed arena with an above or a below; instead choosing to live the only existence we know for certain we’ll ever have, and, we vow to live this one existence as authentically and ethically as possible. There is no forgiveness for us, no one to save us from ourselves but ourselves (and those we’ve joined with), no savior at the end of a tunnel. There is only what we do in the now.

Noadjudication bequeathed from an aloof supernatural omnipresence, we bear our own crosses. We attempt to make right our wrongs. We are less what we say, more what we do. Of equal importance to acceptance of and pride in self, is in the honest and equitable treatment of others.

Yes, this existence is trying. We will experience betrayals and tragedies. Even so, we should take care not to stand too long at the edge of murky and cleverly smooth nihilistic waters, the abyss belying the truth beneath; there swims the killer of empathy, compassion, and eventually — our humanity. Fear, apathy, cowardice, self-loathing, these elements become a stagnant and foul foam on the water’s surface which begets hate. The eventual injection of this venom onto others is a vile form of self-projection.

Being authentic means being honest with yourself, and with others. Especially if you stand alone and at great odds. It also means we do not offer false promises or manipulate others for personal gain, this is not an act of wiles or cunning, but of cheap deception. Manipulation is a disrespect to the autonomy of others, and by our standard — a default of your own. We’re only as good as our word, and remain leery of those who’ve displayed untrustworthy patterns, offered false promises, or attempted to make no atonement towards those unwilling recipients who’ve tasted their putrid venom.

We take delight in and celebrate several different types of holidays, while some may rejoice in none, or develop their own. Each is free to stake a claim on whatever holiday or holidays they find most inspiring & appealing to them. However, we do often craft together, taking meaning from all active participants, we create new traditions to celebrate with one another, or build upon old ones. With these transformative acts, we solidify our sacred oaths to explore and value this existence, and our vows to one another.

Have not men always sought to either control or destroy those females they deemed “witches”? Not your average Sororitatis, we rejoice to enter this new era, with our Brothers and They by our side, representing a diverse, sincere rallying of equals. Brought together through our shared values and philosophy, our bonds are as deep as family; we are brethren.

Our evolution means the rejection of the old, backwards ways of carnival themed Satanism, developed by narcissistic laden misogynists, those who process ritual as if it contains actual supernatural properties, instead of the gift of inspiration that evolves from collective communion and ceremony. Kool-Aid drinking Social Darwinists who consider empathy beneath them, their fetish is to prioritize and glorify hierarchical powers. Such traits are archaic and foolishly draconian when compared to modern Satanism, and certainly to Satanic feminism.

Artist: John William Waterhouse, The Magic Circle, 1886

The last thing our society needs is yet another patriarchal religion (no matter the flavor) placing barriers and restrictions on our personal choices, devaluing our autonomy, practicing objectification, encroaching upon our sovereignty and civil rights in their lust for power, seeking notoriety and personal acclaim; all while fueling the pomposity of overinflated egos. We do not need our roles outlined for us by those who presume to know, yet know nothing, and lack respect for the autonomy and humanity of others. We must all have the courage to separate from traditions that bring harm, to improve upon institutions and processes or develop new ones.

I am happy to Pass Go one more time on the game board of life. With bonbons and wine, I will celebrate those who remain true, those who are new, those who share knowledge, those who create, and those who provide laughter.